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Pituophis ruthveni STULL, 1929

IUCN Red List - Pituophis ruthveni - Endangered, EN
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Higher TaxaColubridae, Colubrinae, Lampropeltini, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Louisiana Pine Snake 
SynonymPituophis ruthveni STULL 1929: 1
Pituophis melanoleucus ruthveni — STULL 1940
Pituophis catenifer ruthveni — FUGLER 1955: 24
Pituophis ruthveni — CONANT 1956: 28
Pituophis melanoleucus ruthveni — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 203
Pituophis ruthveni — CROTHER 2000
Pituophis ruthveni — RUDOLPH et al. 2006
Pituophis ruthveni — WALLACH et al. 2014: 562 
DistributionUSA (Louisiana, E Texas, introduced to Florida)

Type locality: “Longleaf, Louisiana” = Rapides Parrish  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: USNM 76278, a 1520 mm male (W. D. Harris, 24 March 1927). 
Diagnosis 
CommentThis is a critically endangered rare species. 
EtymologyNamed after Alexander Grant Ruthven (1882-1971), American herpetologist, and former president of the University of Michigan. 
References
  • Adams, C. S., J. B. Pierce, D. C. Rudolph, W. A. Ryberg, and T. J. Hibbitts. 2017. Pituophis ruthveni. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (910): 1-16 - get paper here
  • Adams, Connor S.; Josh B. Pierce, D. Craig Rudolph, Wade A. Ryberg and Toby J. Hibbitts 2018. Resolving Questionable Records of Pituophis ruthveni (Louisiana Pinesnake). Southeastern Naturalist 17 (2):286-292 - get paper here
  • Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA - get paper here
  • BROUSSARD, ALYSSA A.; JUSTIN D. HOFFMAN, EDDIE K. LYONS & FREDERICK LEMIEUX. 2022. Comparison of the Relative Abundance of Potential Prey to the Diet of the Louisiana Pine Snake (Pituophis ruthveni). Southeastern Naturalist 21(2): 93–106. - get paper here
  • Conant, Roger 1956. A review of two rare pine snakes from the Gulf Coastal Plain. American Museum Novitates (1781): 1-31 - get paper here
  • Conant,R. & Collins,J.T. 1991. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern/Central North America, 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin (Boston/New York), xx + 450 p.
  • Crother, B. I. (ed.) 2012. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians, Seventh Edition. Herpetological Circular 39: 1-92
  • Dixon, James R. 2000. Amphibians and reptiles of Texas, second edition. Texas A&M University Press, 421 pp.
  • Dundee, H.A., & Rossman, D.A. 1989. The amphibians and reptiles of Louisiana. Louisiana St. Univ. Press, Baton Rouge 300 pp.
  • Ealy, M.J., R.R. Fleet, and D.C. Rudolph 2004. Diel activity patterns of the Louisiana Pine Snake, Pituophis ruthveni. Texas Journal of Science 56:383–394 - get paper here
  • Fugler, Charles M. 1955. New locality records for the Louisiana pine snake, Pituophis catenifer ruthveni Stull. Herpetologica 11: 24 - get paper here
  • Hill, R L; Taylor, A; Niesen, T; Roe, C & Porter, S; 2019. Pituophis ruthveni (Louisiana Pine Snake) Twinning. Herpetological Review 50 (1): 88 - get paper here
  • Himes, J.G., L.M. Hardy, D.C. Rudolph, and S.J. Burgdorf 2006. Movement patterns and habitat selection by native and repatriated Louisiana Pine Snakes (Pituophis ruthveni): Implications for conservation. Herpetological Natural History 9: 103–116 - get paper here
  • Himes, J.G., L.M. Hardy, D.C. Rudolph, and S.J. Burgdorf 2006. Body temperature variations of the Louisiana Pine Snake (Pituophis ruthveni) in a longleaf pine ecosystem. Herpetological Natural History 9: 117–126.
  • Himes, J.G., L.M. Hardy, D.C. Rudolph, and S.J. Burgdorf. 2002. Growth rates and mortality of the Louisiana Pine Snake (Pituophis ruthveni). Journal of Herpetology 36 (4): 683–687 - get paper here
  • HNKSON, K. M., E. SMITH, S. REICHLING, J. PIERCE, C. RUDOLPH, M. KWIATKOWSKI, D. CASTELLANOS, G. HENLEY, D. BARBER, AND R. W. MENDYK 2020. Pituophis ruthveni (Louisiana Pinesnake). Reproduction In Repatriated Population. Herpetological Review 51: 625-626.
  • Klauber, L. M. 1941. Variations and relationships in the snakes of the genus Pituophis. Copeia 1941 (1): 57-60 - get paper here
  • Krysko KL, Smith DC, Rochford MR, Kieckhefer III GN, Nuñez LP. 2014. Confirmation of introduced Louisiana pinesnakes, Pituophis ruthveni, in Florida based on molecular analyses. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 8 (2): 36–43
  • Mitchell, R. W.; Tinkle, D. W. 1960. Another Texas record for the Louisiana pine snake, Pituophis melanoleucus ruthveni Stull. Herpetologica 16: 143-144 - get paper here
  • Pierce, Josh B., D. Craig Rudolph, Beau Gregory and Christopher A. Melder. 2014. Pituophis ruthveni (Louisiana pinesnake) growth rates. Herpetological Review 45 (3): 519 - get paper here
  • Pierce, Josh B., D. Craig Rudolph, Christopher A. Melder and Beau B. Gregory. 2016. Pituophis ruthveni (Louisiana Pinesnake) Reproduction / Breeding phenology. Herpetological Review 47 (2): 315 - get paper here
  • Pyron, R.Alexander; Frank T. Burbrink 2009. Neogene diversification and taxonomic stability in the snake tribe Lampropeltini (Serpentes: Colubridae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 52 (2): 524-529 - get paper here
  • Reichling, S. B. 1995. The taxonomic status of the Louisiana pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus ruthveni) and ist relevance to the evolutionary species concept. Journal of Herpetology 29 (2): 186-198 - get paper here
  • Reichling, S.B. 1990. Reproductive traits of the Louisiana Pine Snake Pituophis melanoleucus ruthveni (Serpentes: Colubridae). Southwestern Naturalist 35: 221–222 - get paper here
  • Riemer, William J. 1958. Longitudinal striping as a pattern modification in the snake Pituophis melanoleucus. Natural History Miscellanea (165): 1-9
  • Rodríguez-Robles,J.A. & De Jesús-Escobar,J.M. 2000. Molecular Systematics of New World Gopher, Bull, and Pinesnakes (Pituophis: Colubridae), a transcontinental Species Complex. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 14 (1): 35-50 - get paper here
  • Rudolph, D C; Pierce, J B & Koerth, N E; 2018. The Louisiana pinesnake (Pituophis ruthveni): at risk of extinction? Herpetological Review 49 (4): 609-619 - get paper here
  • Rudolph, D. C., Melder, C. A., Pierce, J., Schaefer, R. R. & Gregory, B. 2012. Diet of the Louisiana pine snake (Pituophis ruthveni). Herpetological Review 43: 243-245 - get paper here
  • Rudolph, D. Craig; Shirley J. Burgdorf, Richard R. Schaefer, Richard N. Conner, and Ricky W. Maxey 2006. Status of Pituophis ruthveni (Louisiana Pine Snake). Southeastern Naturalist 5 (3): 463-472 - get paper here
  • Rudolph, D.C., R.R. Schaefer, S.J. Burgdorf, M. Duran & R.N. Conner 2007. Pine Snake (Pituophis ruthveni and Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi) Hibernacula Journal of Herpetology 41 (4): 560-565. - get paper here
  • Smith, Hobart M.;Kennedy, J. P. 1951. Pituophis melanoleucus ruthveni in eastern Texas and its bearing on the status of P. catenifer. Herpetologica 7 (3): 93-96 - get paper here
  • Stull, O.G. 1929. The description of a new subspecies of Pituophis melanoleucus from Louisiana. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology University of Michigan, No. 205: 1-3 - get paper here
  • Stull, Olive Griffith 1940. Variations and relationships in the snakes of the genus Pituophis. Bull. US Natl. Mus. (175): 1-225 - get paper here
  • Stull, Olive Griffth 1932. An annotated list of the forms of the genus Pituophis. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan (250): 1-5 - get paper here
  • Tennant, A. 2003. Snakes of North America - Eastern and Central Regions, revised edition. Lone Star Books, 605 pp.
  • Tennant, A. & Bartlett, R.D. 2000. Snakes of North America - Eastern and Central Regions. Gulf Publishing, Houston, TX, 588 pp.
  • Thomas,R.A.; Davis,B.J. & Culbertson,M.R. 1976. Notes on variation and range of the Louisiana Pine Snake, Pituophis melanoleucus ruthveni Stull (Reptilia, Serpentes, Colubridae). Journal of Herpetology 10: 252-254 - get paper here
  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
  • Weidler, J M 2019. Protected areas of Texas in relation to Texas reptiles. Herpetological Review 50 (3): 462-473 - get paper here
  • Werler, John E. & James R. Dixon 2000. Texas Snakes. University of Texas Press, 544 pages
  • Williams, Avery A.;Cordes, James E. 1996. Geographic Distribution. Pituophis ruthveni. Herpetological Review 27 (1): 35 - get paper here
  • Young, R.A., and T.L. Vandeventer 1988. Recent observations on the Louisiana Pine Snake, Pituophis melanoleucus ruthveni (Stull). Bull. Chicago Herp. Soc. 23:203–207. - get paper here
 
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